Farina banks on a flood in midfield

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In the swing: Socceroos midfielder Marco Bresciano lines up a cross during training at Aussie Stadium yesterday. Photo: Steve Christo

Socceroos coach Frank Farina has abandoned his cornerstone 4-4-2 formation for the first time since taking charge almost five years ago, naming only one recognised striker for tonight's international against Turkey at Aussie Stadium.

In a mark of respect to the Turks, who finished third at the 2002 World Cup, Farina has opted for a five-man midfield, with David Zdrilic - who was released by Scottish club Aberdeen this week - the only out-and-out striker in the team.

As expected, ball-winning midfielder Vince Grella has been promoted to provide added cover for a new-look defence, which is likely to be put under sustained pressure from an adventurous Turkish side.

With Turkish coach Ersun Yanal pledging to adopt the high-powered attacking style that became his trademark at club side Genclerbirligi - veteran striker Hakan Sukur may be joined by speedsters Hasan Sas and Tuncay Sanli in a three-man forward line - the Socceroos are arguably more vulnerable than they have been in a long time.

Established defenders Kevin Muscat, Tony Popovic, Craig Moore and Lucas Neill are missing for various reasons, and the danger for the Socceroos is that they will be exposed while a reshuffled defence settles in.

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Grella offers extra insurance in his holding role, while the hard-working Zdrilic will - at times - be expected to battle on his own up front.

Asked whether he was frightened by the possibility of a lop-sided scoreline, Farina said: "I wouldn't say that, no. I'm more excited. The bigger picture is what's happening in two weeks' time [the Oceania World Cup qualifiers]. But these games are important because: one, we get to test players who might not have had the opportunity before; and two, we get to try things that are worth looking at.

"Against South Africa [Australia's previous international] we probably didn't have that anchor in the middle of the park. The way we're going to play is probably a little bit different than what we have in the past. It's something we're going to try out, but we will still be very offensive once in possession of the ball.

"Emerton's always been an attacking midfielder, I expect him to get forward. He's scored a number of goals for us - think back to Scotland and England. We want him to get forward and virtually become a third striker. The same goes for Chipperfield. With their pace and their engines they should be able to do that without any problems.

"When we're not in possession of the ball, we'll play five across midfield. When in possession, we'll have Vinny [Grella] holding and what you could call five up front, because [Josip] Skoko and [Marco] Bresciano can also get up the park.

"For the players, this is a massive stage. They're against one of the best teams in the world, and hopefully they'll be up for it. Hopefully they'll push their claims for further inclusions in the squad."

Farina confirmed the captain tonight would be goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who won his first cap on the same ground 11 years ago, when his saves in a penalty shoot-out led to a dramatic World Cup victory over Canada.

Asked why he had chosen Schwarzer ahead of veteran defender Tony Vidmar, who has led the side previously, Farina said: "It could have been Viddy [Vidmar], it could have been Schwarzey, it could have been Skoko. Mark's been a mainstay for a long time, he'll captain the side tomorrow night, but that doesn't make it a long-term thing. Craig Moore is the incumbent captain, but unfortunately he's injured. I don't think you could argue too much about the choice whether it's Schwarzey or anyone else."

The match was edging closer to a sell-out by the close of business yesterday, with fewer than 6000 tickets left. The Aussie Stadium playing surface, which was of great concern to Farina last week, was much improved by the time the Socceroos trained on the ground yesterday afternoon, and the grass will be cut today.

In a major boost to the national team off the field, Australian Soccer Association chief executive John O'Neill yesterday announced an improved, renegotiated contract with naming rights sponsor Qantas, rumoured to be worth $7.5 million over the next three years. The deal will also encompass the six national teams other than the Socceroos, as well as the national talent identification scheme.

Meanwhile, the final two teams for the Oceania World Cup qualifiers in Adelaide later this month were confirmed yesterday, with Tahiti and Vanuatu joining the Solomon Islands and Fiji as the successful sides to emerge from the preliminary stage. The island nations will join Australia and New Zealand in a round-robin tournament starting on May 29